Colorado Court Rules Use of Public Funds for Private Schools Is Unconstitutional

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Re: Colorado Court Rules Use of Public Funds for Private Schools Is Unconstitutional

Originally Posted by Paschendale

No, that's just a BS attempt to get around the constitution. Using a middle man doesn't change anything.

I love how you authoritarians try to use the Constitution to keep free people from making free choices. Oh, that's right, you leftists are pro choice lol. How about giving people the choice to use their own education dollars where they choose to use them? Not for that sort of choice are you.

Re: Colorado Court Rules Use of Public Funds for Private Schools Is Unconstitutional

Originally Posted by Fletch

I love how you authoritarians try to use the Constitution to keep free people from making free choices. Oh, that's right, you leftists are pro choice lol. How about giving people the choice to use their own education dollars where they choose to use them? Not for that sort of choice are you.

It's not their dollars. We're talking about government vouchers. That's my money, and yours, and everyone else's. And that money doesn't go to fund religion in this country. The first amendment doesn't allow for public money to fund religion. If you want to spend your own money to go to a private religious school, go ahead. But you can't use the government to spend anyone else's money on it.

Re: Colorado Court Rules Use of Public Funds for Private Schools Is Unconstitutional

Originally Posted by Paschendale

No, that's just a BS attempt to get around the constitution. Using a middle man doesn't change anything.

Not everyone agrees with SCOTUS decisions, but they are what they are, and that is the law. Vouchers can be used for education at religious schools, so long as the money doesn't go directly to the school.

Re: Colorado Court Rules Use of Public Funds for Private Schools Is Unconstitutional

Originally Posted by Kreton

Yes. These schools want special exceptions. They don't want to follow the state curriculum, they want to be allowed to discriminate based on religion without penalty. Which they are not being forced to do. They are allowed to operate their schools as they see fit. But the public money goes to schools who follow the guidelines.

If you want access to this money you have to do these things. They don't want to do those things, they don't get access to that money. The question is really not about religion, it is about control. If you read the wording of the articles;

If there were religious schools that were able to comply with guidelines they would be eligible.

That sounds like a separate argument. I haven't read the opinion, but if they did rule against for multiple reasons, then of course the aforementioned law could be found unconstitutional, but the overall decision not be overturned (though in that case, I don't know that it stands a very good chance of being considered by the SC).

Re: Colorado Court Rules Use of Public Funds for Private Schools Is Unconstitutional

Originally Posted by Fletch

I love how you authoritarians try to use the Constitution to keep free people from making free choices. Oh, that's right, you leftists are pro choice lol. How about giving people the choice to use their own education dollars where they choose to use them? Not for that sort of choice are you.

well, Colorado's constitution is pretty clear on it. public funds cannot go to private schools - whether or not they can single out religious schools in that sense is another question. I believe they cannot single out religious schools, and all private schools should be ineligible to receive public funds, either indirectly or directly (based on what CO's constitution says).

Re: Colorado Court Rules Use of Public Funds for Private Schools Is Unconstitutional

Originally Posted by Taylor

That sounds like a separate argument. I haven't read the opinion, but if they did rule against for multiple reasons, then of course the aforementioned law could be found unconstitutional, but the overall decision not be overturned (though in that case, I don't know that it stands a very good chance of being considered by the SC).

The recent ruling didnt make this decision. It clarified. The decision was made years ago. Private religious schools have not been eligible for state funding for quite some time. This ruling happened because the county was awarding vouchers to kids in the area and the majority of them were using that money to attend private religious schools. Thus indirectly giving the school tax dollars, which is prohibited. Noone is arguing the overall ruling that these schools should not get tax dollars directly from the state or county. That is in place and is working well. This recent ruling only clarified that private religious schools that are not under state control cannot receive tax money even indirectly, in this case with vouchers.

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
― Stephen R. Covey

Re: Colorado Court Rules Use of Public Funds for Private Schools Is Unconstitutional

Originally Posted by Kreton

The recent ruling didnt make this decision. It clarified. The decision was made years ago. Private religious schools have not been eligible for state funding for quite some time. This ruling happened because the county was awarding vouchers to kids in the area and the majority of them were using that money to attend private religious schools. Thus indirectly giving the school tax dollars, which is prohibited.

So again, the question is, why is this prohibited? The SC has ruled it constitutional to apply vouchers (indirect aid) to religious schools. If the issue was that the schools weren't following the curriculum, then they should have passed a law that made it illegal to provide indirect aid to schools that don't follow the curriculum.

Re: Colorado Court Rules Use of Public Funds for Private Schools Is Unconstitutional

Originally Posted by Kreton

No. It didn't.

Yes, it did.

See Zelman vs. Simmons-Harris

"The incidental advancement of a religious mission, or the perceived endorsement of a religious message, is reasonably attributable to the individual aid recipients - not the government, whose role ends with the disbursement of benefits."

Re: Colorado Court Rules Use of Public Funds for Private Schools Is Unconstitutional

Originally Posted by Fletch

I love how you authoritarians try to use the Constitution to keep free people from making free choices. Oh, that's right, you leftists are pro choice lol. How about giving people the choice to use their own education dollars where they choose to use them? Not for that sort of choice are you.

Here's the lib idea of choice. "This is your one choice, you'll take it, and like it."